Buffer



y 1966 c. A. ANDERSON ETAL 3,253,718

BUFFER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 10, 1964 INVENTOR. Car/ 16?finder-son ygurence Z" (a lie y 1966 c. A. ANDERSON ETAL 3,253,}718

BUFFER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 10, 1964 INVENTOR. Car/ 17. flrvder301? Laur as 77.40 //s United States Patent 3,253,718 BUFFER Carl A.Anderson, Chesterton, Ind., and Laurence T. La Belle, Westchester, IlL,assignors to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of DelawareFiled Aug. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 388,534 4 Claims. (Cl. 213220) Thisinvention relates in general to railway car shock absorbing mechanismsand more particularly to an economical butter for use with couplersemploying draw hooks.

Rolling stock utilizing draw hooks in their couplers must employ shockabsorbing mechanisms or buffers whose stroke corresponds to the travelof the particular couplers. Such couplers are usually used on cars whichare subsequently intended to be equipped with draft gears. It therefore.-is desirable that the shock absorbing mechanism used with the drawhook couplers be of such construction that it may be economicallydiscarded at such time as the draft gear is employed while having astroke that corresponds to the stroke of a wide variety of draw hookcouplers.

Briefly, the present invention provides an economical buffer which meetsthe needs described above in a simple and unique manner. Thus, thebutter in elfect comprises a pair of telescoping tubes in which theresilient or shock absorbing apparatus is carried. The length of travelof the tubes relative to each other is regulated by slots in one tubewhich are engaged by stops carried by the other tube. The stops areinserted through the other tube after the tubes are assembled and theyare held in position by a very simple arrangement. The assembly andconstruction of the buffer are therefore very economical and byproviding slots of diiferent lengths in the one tube an extremely widevariety of strokes is permitted.

A primary object therefore of the present invention is to provide aneconomical shock absorbing mechanism for use on railway cars.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a butler thatis easily assembled for use with railway cars employing draw hookcouplers.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a shockabsorbing mechanism which may accommodate the various strokes ofdifferent types of draw hook couplers.

Other objects and features of this invention will become apparent onexamination of the following specification and claims together with thedrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal vertical section of a bufferincorporating the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken generally on the line 22in FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale perspective view of the stop; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale perspective view of the" locking key.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a buffer for use on arailway car is indicated generally by the reference character 10. Itcomprises a pair of telescoping tubes 12 and 14 with tube 12 designatedas a cylinder and tube 14 designated as a sleeve 14 which receives thecylinder. A buffer head 16 is provided on one end of the cylinder 12 forengagement with suitable apparatus on an adjoining car. A rear mountingplate 18 is fixed to the end of the sleeve 14 opposite that in which thecylinder 12 is received. The mounting plate 18 is provided withapertures 20 for mounting the buffer on a railway car.

A helical spring 22 is carried in the cylinder 12 and it 3,253,718Patented May 31, 1966 "ice is seated between the buffer head 16 and aspring follower 24 carried in the sleeve 14. The spring follower 24 inturn is engaged against a pair of tandemly arranged rubber pads 26. Thecylinder 12 is thus adapted for oscillating movement in the sleeve 14 inresponse to pressure on the buffer head 16 or the expansive force of thespring 22 when pressure is relieved from the butter head 16. In order tolimit the stroke of the cylinder 12 in either direction, the cylinder isprovided with a pair of diametrically opposite elongated slots 28 and30, the ends of which are engaged by respective stop assemblies 32carried by the sleeve 14.

Each stop assembly 32 comprises a generally rectangular U-shaped stopmember 34 and an L-shaped locking key 36. These are carried inrectangular apertures 38 in the sleeve 14.

To assemble the buffer 19, the cylinder 12 and the spring 22 are simplyinserted in the sleeve 14, after the rubber pads 26 and the springfollower 24 have been placed therein, with the slots 28 and 30 in thecylinder 12 in alignment with the apertures 38 in the sleeve 14. TheU-shaped stop members 34 are then inserted in the apertures 38, as shownin the drawings, so that one leg 40 of each is disposed against theouter surface of the sleeve 14 and the other leg 41 of each is receivedin the cylinder slots 28 and 30. The apertures 38 are sufficiently widethat the full length of each leg 41 may pass therethrough easily and thedistance between the legs 40 and 41 is dimensioned so that when the leg40 is engaged with the outer surface of the sleeve 14, the other leg 41is disposed in its respective slot 28 or 30 and the wall of the sleeve12 is straddled by the member 34. The L-shaped locking keys 36 are theninserted in the apertures 38. One leg 44 of each key 36 seats againstthe outer surface of the sleeve 14 while the other leg 46 thereof isdimensioned so that it snugly fills the remaining vacant space inaperture 38 with its end being engaged in its respective slot 28 or 30.With this arrangement,

the U-s'haped stops 34 and the keys 36 snugly fill the apertures 38 andcannot become misaligned. After each stop assembly 32 has been soengaged in its respective slots 28 and 30 in the cylinder 12, the stopassemblies may be securely retained in such relationship by depositing asmall amount of weld material between the leg 44 of the locking key 36and the outer surface of the sleeve 14, as indicated at 47 in FIG. 1.

With the stop assemblies 32 in position, the buffer head 16 in closingmay now move to the right only until the left edges of slots 28 and 30encounter the legs 41 of the stop members 34. Similarly the spring 22may move the cylinder 12 to the left until the right edges of the slots28 and 30 encounter the legs 46 of the keys 36, as shown in FIG. 1. Thisprovides the buffer 10 with a stroke corresponding to the usual drawhook coupler.

In the event a longer stroke is needed, slots 48 are provided in thecylinder 12. In this case the slots 48 would be aligned with theapertures 38 when the bufier is assembled and the stop assembly 32 wouldbe engaged therewith in the manner previously described. As the slots 48are longer than the slots 28 and 30, the cylinder may travel acorrespondingly greater increment if needed to provide a longer strokefor the butter 10.

The foregoing is the description of an economical buffer capable of usewith draw hook couplers of different strokes and whose inventiveconcepts are believed set forth in the accompanying claims.

\Vhat is claimed as new is! 1. A butter for use on a railway car, theimprovement comprising one tube having longitudinally extending slotstherein and carrying a buffer head on one end thereof, another tubeencircling said one tube for telescopically receiving said one tube andhaving a rear wall for mounting same on said car, a helical spring insaid one inner tube having one end engaged with said buifer head, aspring follower in said other outer tube engaged with the other-end ofsaid spring, resilient pad means between said follower and said rearwall, said outer tube having circumferentially spaced apertures therein,a U-shaped stop having legs adapted to be inserted through any one ofsaid apertures with one leg of said stop being selectively engageable inone of said slots and the other leg of said stop being engageableagainst the external surface of said outer tube whereby said legs ofsaid stop straddle the wall of said outer tube, and an L-shaped keymember adapted to be inserted in said one aperture alongside saidU-shaped stop with one leg of said key member being engageable againstthe external surface of said outer tube and the other leg of said keymember being engageable in said one slot whereby to firmly seat saidU-shaped stop against the edge of the straddled wall of said outer tube.

2. The buifer claimed in claim 1 in which said slots in said one tubeare of difiering lengths whereby the travel of said one tube may bevaried.

3. A buffer for use on a railway car, the improvement comprising aninner tube having longitudinally extending slots therein, an outer tubeencircling said inner tube for telescopically receiving same, resilientmeans carried by said tubes whereby said inner tube is biased in onedirection away from said outer tube and is adapted to be moved towardsaid outer tube in response to the application of pressure thereto, saidouter tube having circumferentially spaced apertures therein, a U-shapedstop having legs adapted to be inserted through any one of saidapertures with one leg of said stop being selectively engageable in anyone of said slots and the other leg of said stop being engageableagainst the outer surface of said outer tube, and an L-shaped key memberadapted to be inserted in said one aperture alongside said U-shaped stopwith one leg of said key member being engageable against the outersurface of said outer tube and the other leg of said key member beingengageable in said one slot whereby to firmly seat said U-shaped stopagainst one edge of said aperture in embracing engagement therewith.

4. For use on a railway car, a buffer comprising one tube havinglongitudinal slots of different lengths formed therein, another tube fortelescopically receiving said one tube and having an aperture therein,resilient means car ried by said tubes for biasing said tubes apart, andstop means adapted to be inserted through said aperture for selectiveengagement in any one of said slots for limiting the travel of said onetube when said stop means en'- counters opposite end edges of saidengaged slot with the length of said travel varying dependent upon withwhich said stop means is engaged.

References Citedby the Examiner 10/1932 France.

EUGENE G. BOTZ, Primary Examiner.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Examiner.

B. FAUST, Assistant Examiner.

1. A BUFFER FOR USE ON A RAILWAY CAR, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING ONETUBE HAVING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOTS THEREIN AND CARRYING A BUFFERHEAD ON ONE END THEREOF ANOTHER TUBE ENCIRCLING A SAID ONE TUBE FORTELESCOPICALLY RECEIVING SAID ONE TUBE AND HAVING A REAR WALL FOR MOUNTING SAME ON SAID CAR, A HELICAL SPRING IN SAID ONE INNER TUBE HAVING ONEEND ENGAGED WITH SAID BUFFER HEAD, A SPRING FOLLOWER IN SAID OTHER OUTERTUBE ENGAGED WITH THE OTHER END OF SAID SPRING, RESILIENT PAD MEANSBETWEEN SAID FOLLOWER AND SAID REAR WALL, SAID OUTER TUBE HAVINGCIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED APERTURES THEREIN, A U-SHAPED STOP HAVING LEGSADAPTED TO BE INSERTED THROUGH ANY ONE OF SAID APERTURES WITH ONE LEG OFSAID STOP BEING SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE IN ONE OF SAID SLOTS AND THEOTHER LEG OF SAID STOP BEING ENGAGEABLE AGAINST THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OFSAID OUTER TUBE WHEREBY SAID LEGS OF SAID STOP STRADDLE THE WALL OF SAIDOUTER TUBE, AND AN L-SHAPED KEY MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED IN SAIDONE APERTURE ALONGSIDE SAID U-SHAPED STOP WITH ONE LEG OF SAID KEYMEMBER BEING ENGAGEABLE AGAINST THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID OUTER TUBEAND THE OTHER LEG OF SAID KEY MEMBER BEING ENGAGEABLE IN SAID SLOTWHEREBY TO FIRMLY SEAT SAID U-SHAPED STOP AGAINST THE EDGE OF THESTRADDLE WALL OF SAID OUTER TUBE.